Thelma was born in Hillgrade, Notre Dame Bay, and graduated from Coaker Academy in 1965. She has been teaching for 28 years and holds a Grade 4 teaching certificate. Thelma did her first teaching at Change Islands, where the local residents welcomed her as one of their own. She still holds a number of fond memories from this experience and feels that the people and the kindness they expressed helped to make her first teaching position such an enjoyable one.
In addition to teaching for one year in Twillingate, Thelma taught for two years in Norris Point where she met and married her husband, Gordon Barnes. They now have two children and are currently living in Hillgrade.
Thelma has been teaching for twenty four years at New World East Elementary and she has been teaching Kindergarten for the past 19 years. Thelma is presently teaching Kindergarten, and Grade 3 Language Arts and Remedial.
Thelma finds teaching Kindergarten both challenging and rewarding and hopes that the learning experience that her class is exposed to will help them develop to their fullest potential.
The year of 1996 has been among one of the highlights of her career, for she has had the opportunity to be a co-worker with her son who is completing a work term for Memorial University's Physical Education Program. She is also teaching her grandson (daughter's son) and is thrilled to have him as a part of her Kindergarten class.
Thelma's hobbies are sewing, quilting, and she devotes most of her free time to her church where she plays an active role.